Many surgical procedures involve partially or totally severed blood vessels which must be connected. The conventional method of reconnecting such vessels and closing incisions is by sewing them together with a suitable suture material. Although this procedure has been medically successful, it can involve considerable time during an operation. Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for quickly connecting or closing severed blood vessels.
Any device which can be used to quickly connect blood vessels together must be compatible with the human or animal body in which it is used. Since most blood vessels are flexible, it is desirable that any such device also be flexible.
We have developed a fastener for use in connecting blood vessels together. In one embodiment the fastener is comprised of a male member and female member which are fitted together with a one-way fastener. After the male member has engaged the female member the fastener cannot be disengaged without destroying the coupling. A portion of the exterior of the male member has a plurality of very small projections which are sized to engage a receiving surface on the interior of the female member. The receiving surface is constructed to receive the projections from the male member and make a permanent coupling therebetween. Both the male member and female member have a plurality of micro miniature barbs on at least a portion of their outer surfaces. Those barbs are positioned to penetrate the walls of the blood vessel and then hold the coupling in place against the blood vessel wall. The coupling may be inserted into the blood vessel by any convenient means. If the blood vessel has been severed or substantially cut open, the fastener's segments could be positioned through the opening created when the blood vessel was cut.
The second preferred embodiment is comprised of a flexible body having one surface from which a plurality of micro miniature barbs extend. The body is sized so as to extend around at least a portion of the inner surface or outer surface of the blood vessel. Preferably the body is a compressible hollow cylinder or a flat sheet which can be rolled to a dimension smaller than the blood vessel, inserted in the blood vessel and then expanded to engage the inside wall of the blood vessel. A preferred way of inserting this embodiment is to wrap the flexible body around a balloon catheter and extend the catheter into the vessel to the location where fastening or closure is required. Then the balloon is inflated to unroll the fastener and press it tightly against the inside wall of the blood vessel.
Other objects and advantages of our micro miniature blood vessel closure and fastener and method of inserting same will become apparent from a description of the present preferred embodiments shown in the drawings.